Case Study of Hatake Kakashi
by Kopykat Kakashi
Summary: Biography and psychological profile of our favorite jounin Kakashi of course! Updated with manga spoilers
1. Case Study of Hatake Kakashi

_Author's Notes: This first article was originally written before Kakashi's past was explained in the manga. I left it as is to show what theories were dominant at the time I wrote this. Please no reviews complaining how this first article is incorrect. Read the second article before you complain. The second article has the corrected background._

**Case Study of Hatake Kakashi**

The subject is an adult male, 26 years of age.

Occupation: shinobi, level jounin, also sensei of a genin team

Diagnosis: Suffering from survivor's guilt - manifesting in symptoms of passive aggression, and nonconformity; use of defensive coping mechanisms.

**Subject's Background**

Not much is known about Kakashi's past or his family. He became a chuunin at 6 years old, and a genin at 5, which means he probably entered the academy (if it formally existed at that time) at 4. He started wearing a mask as a child, which has psychological implications on its own. One theory arises from the likelihood that Kakashi was in the academy with kids 4 years older than he was. Being a cherubic 4 year old, they probably liked to pinch his cheeks a lot. Wearing a mask would inhibit such behavior from others. He probably continued to keep the mask onto adulthood for reasons as described in FAQ (e.g. acts as gas filter, confuses the enemy).

He was considered a genius. Sasuke has been compared to Kakashi by Gai and Kakashi himself, not just because he has the sharingan, but also because of his extraordinary ability. To extrapolate from Sasuke's personality, it is likely that Kakashi was praised and worshipped for his genius, which lead to arrogance, selfishness and over confidence. Shikamaru's comment that geniuses tend to blaze and fizzle, is probably what happened to Kakashi. Others, like Gai, caught up to his talents after a few years, and arrogant-ambitious Kakashi coveted the sharingan to stay ahead of the pack. Once he obtained it, he used it at every opportunity and was able to copy over 1000 jutsus.

Kakashi's sensei was the Fourth Hokage, presumably from the time he was 5. His teammates include a girl with stripes on her cheeks, most likely a relative of Kiba's (possibly an older sister), and a boy with goggles and a straw in his mouth (maybe Genma, or Asuma, or Obito). They all look about the same age, so they might all be geniuses, or maybe Kakashi was a year or two younger. When the Fourth Hokage died, Kakashi was 14 years old, an impressionable age, not yet a true adult but no longer a child.

During the Ninja wars which probably lasted until Thunder Country signed a peace treaty with Konoha (nine years from the current timeline, which makes Kakashi 17 years old), genins were sent to the frontlines. Tsunade's brother Nawari was only 12 at the time he was killed. Assuming Tsunade is 50 years old, and about 25 when this happened, the war was ongoing when Kakashi was born. His talents were needed in the war and it is likely he started killing at a very young age. Imagine a child, only a few years out of diapers, not only growing up during a time of war, but being an active participant, being constantly exposed to death. In order to cope, the child may become a hardened and bitter adult, or conversely adopt a nonchalant attitude about life and death.

Kakashi was a member of the Anbu, basically an assassination squad, but left for unknown reasons. Kakashi's staunch belief in teamwork probably arises from a past incident where he failed in teamwork and caused the death(s) of a teammate(s), possibly his best friend. Not much is known about Obito as of this writing except he's Kakashi's best friend and died in the line of duty. Some think he was the original owner of the sharingan. Some think it's because of his death that Kakashi's outlook on life changed. I would argue that the two events are mutually exclusive. If Kakashi had gotten the eye from his best friend, whose death affected him so much, would he have had the ambition to copy over 1000 jutsus? It would make more sense for Kakashi to have obtained the sharingan first, and because of his arrogance and ambition he caused the death of his friend, and then became the person he is now, a rather lazy layback fellow.

Orochimaru says Kakashi has what he wanted, the sharingan, and he didn't have it when Orochimaru was around. Orochimaru has been gone "10 and a few" (about 12-15) years - probably soon after the Fourth's death (12 years ago) and not before, otherwise, the Fourth would have face Orochimaru rather than the Third. Another clue to when or how long Kakashi has had the sharingan is obscured by the inconsistency with Zabuza. Zabuza is supposed to be the same age as Kakashi, 26. He became a genin at 9. Yet while discussing the change in the Mist academy graduation exams, it was only 11 years ago when a "boy, not yet a shinobi," killed over 100 students. Zabuza was 15, no longer a boy, and had graduated already. In any case, while Zabuza was with the Mist assassination squad, Kakashi was already in his bingo book as having copied over 1000 jutsus. Zabuza picked up Haku about 8 years ago. Haku is 15 years old and was picked up as a "toddler" or young child probably about 6-8 years old. Kakashi and Zabuza would have been 18 years old. To have been exposed to and copied that many jutsus, Kakashi would have had the eye for at least 2 years. For him to have gotten the eye at 16 fits into the timeline. He was still with the Anbu at this time as he is seen in an illustration in Anbu gear with his sharingan scar at about this age. In genin team pictures where Kakashi was about 8 and 12 years old, he does not have the sharingan or the scar. In any case, Kakashi was most likely about 13-16 years old when he obtained the sharingan.

Kakashi probably didn't leave the Anbu to become a regular shinobi sensei until he was about 20. This is estimated on the number of students he failed in the bell test. If one team a year is given this test, then over 5 years there would have been five teams, or fifteen students (not including Naruto's team), a large enough number to be surprising to Iruka. As Iruka flips through the pages of Kakashi's student logbook, assuming 2 pages (one sheet) of data per student, he flipped through a number of pages, which would makes this estimate reasonable.

**Psychological Profile**

Observed personality aspects: chronically late, sarcastic, arrogant, over confident, intelligent, leader, straight man, buffoon, nonchalant, easy going, nonconformist, unconventional, passive-aggressive

**Passive aggression**

A passive-aggressive person seeks to avoid confrontation. However, in order to express themselves without conflict, they are often chronically late, using that as a form of control and subtle revenge. Kakashi is always late to his appointments and often comes up with some flimsy excuse. He is not late by just minutes, but sometimes hours! Sarcasm is another aspect of passive-aggression. Kakashi's normal personality appears to be easygoing and nonchalant, but in his serious mode he is confident and arrogant, in either mode he often makes sardonic remarks. Which is the true persona? In Kakashi's case there is something else going on.

In episode 80, before the Hokages's funeral, Kakashi visits the shinobi memorial where the name of his best friend Obito is engraved. The unnamed Anbu girl asks him why he is late all the time and his answer explains his chronic lateness and the deep pain he still endures from his past. He visits the memorial often in the mornings. He thinks about the past and wants to stay there, living in his memories. He talks about how foolish he was and regrets the things he did. From this, it appears that Kakashi is suffering from survivor's guilt and it may be his fault that his friend died.

**Nonconformity**

Gai rants that Kakashi is "hip" and "revolutionary." Other terms would include unconventional, rebellious, and nonconforming. His nonconformist, unconventional attitude is exemplified by his apparent lack of concern of what people think of him as he reads x-rated novels in public, in front of his students, and even during training and battle. This idiosyncrasy causes him to be a subject of ridicule. He also has a tendency to make inappropriate jokes during serious discussions as when Iruka protests the nomination of rookies for the chuunin exams and when Anko wants Sasuke to leave the exams because of his cursed seal. Although they respect his skills, people tend to see him as rather buffoonish and he gets called an idiot quite often despite his superior intelligence. These actions also have the effect of keeping people at bay, preventing him from forming any close relationships; especially woman - who would approach a guy who reads books like that in public? This is apparently part of his assumed persona, purposefully constructed to avoid any serious relationships. The reason for this avoidance stems from the loss of his loved ones in his past and is a manifestation of survivor's guilt.

**Defensive coping mechanisms**

Both passive aggression and nonconformity are forms of defensive coping mechanisms. In addition, Kakashi's nonchalance and carefree attitude, inappropriate jokes during serious situations, may come from coping with death from a young age by not coping, by not facing reality, by using inappropriate levity to laugh at death rather than face the trauma. It is likely that not until someone close to him died was he truly faced with the reality of death. Killing and having someone close to you be killed are different experiences. It is easy to be desensitized to the former, especially in times of war. The enemy is usually nameless and faceless. The reality of death only sinks in once someone close to you dies.

**Survivor's guilt**

The death of loved ones often leave the survivor thinking, "Why was I spared? I should have died too." An immense amount of guilt is associated with surviving when all your loved ones are gone. Sufferers of survivor's guilt are often unable to form close personal relationships, fearing that feelings for anyone new is a betrayal to those who passed, or fearing that they too will die. The survivor may also feel he does not deserve to be happy and as punishment would avoid a relationship which would mitigate his feelings of guilt and pain.

This is apparently true of Kakashi. He is not seen hanging out with his students and taking them out the way Iruka and Asuma do. His advice to Sasuke is that strictly of a mentor not as a substitute father figure or friend, unlike the way Iruka is with Naruto. The genin are his soldiers, and soldiers die. If he becomes too close to them, and if they should die, then he would experience the past again. To avoid feeling the same past pain, it is then easier to keep relationships superficial.

Kakashi says little about himself, and only his comrades in arms, the few remaining, know his true nature. The closest he ever comes to revealing his feelings is talking to the un-named Anbu girl as discussed previously. There he reveals the depths of his sorrow and guilt, preferring to live in the past rather than the present.

More Kakashi analyses and mini-psych profiles at: animefamily .com


	2. Updated with manga spoilers

Updated with Manga Spoilers through the Kakashi Gaiden . Do not read unless you want to know or already know the details of Kakashi's past:

**Case Study of Hatake Kakashi**

**Subject's Background (Updated): **

Hatake Sakumo, subject's father, aka White Fang, was a genius ninja on par with the legendary sannins. He abandoned an important mission to save his comrades, after which he was blamed and disgraced even by those he saved; and thus committed suicide. Kakashi was about 8 years old when he bore witness to this tragedy.

After his father's suicide, Kakashi started to adhere strictly to the shinobi rules, in particular, the rule dictating that the mission must come first. He became arrogant, humorless, and by-the-book. Kakashi achieved jounin status at 13 years of age. There was no elaborate ceremony. Instead his reward was to lead his team on a sabotage mission to blow up a bridge in order to prevent forces from Earth Country from entering Grass Country.

His teammates were Rin (a female medical ninja), and Uchiha Obito. In the course of their mission, Rin was captured. Kakashi ordered Obito to continue the mission, but Obito disobeyed his commander to rescue his teammate. Obito reminded Kakashi of Sakumo's decision. Obito considered Sakumo a true hero. Obito's remarks caused Kakashi to reconsider his own priorities.

Kakashi lost his left eye while protecting Obito and his scar is a result of that injury. They were able to rescue Rin, but were again attacked by the enemy whereupon Obito sacrificed himself to save Kakashi. Upon his death, Obito bequested his left eye to Kakashi to replace the one he had lost.

**Psychological Profile**

**Suicide**

The impact of a parent's suicide on a young child of eight, no matter how hardened by war and death, must be devastating. Hatake Sakumo was respected on the order of the legendary sannins, and for him to fall from grace at such a great height would have profoundly affected his entire clan. His disgrace was not only borne by himself, but also by his family, and most directly by his son, Kakashi.

What would push someone past his natural instinct for self-preservation to suicide? In the Western culture suicide is normally a manifestation of mental illness and depression. In Sakumo's case, it was said that his mind and body became weak, but it was possibly an honorable way to redeem himself and his clan from ignominy. Ritual suicide, seppuku, was a key part of bushido, the code of the samurai warriors. Seppuku was an act of bravery that wiped away transgressions, and enhanced the deceased's reputation. Sakumo may have resorted to this desperate attempt to restore his and his clan's honor. But after the tragedy, Kakashi never spoke of his father, probably due to the shame and stigma of suicide in addition to the humiliation suffered from his father's questionable decision.

A consequence of Sakumo's suicide on his young son was Kakashi's newfound fixation on following the rules. His father would not have been disgraced if only he had followed the rules and completed his mission. Kakashi came to believe that the mission was of foremost importance and his teammates were expendable. But five years later this belief was challenged by his "best friend" Obito.

**Transference**

Uchiha Obito was the great influence in Kakashi's life. Although in adulthood Kakashi calls him his best friend, in actuality, their relationship was adversarial. They were like "oil and water" where Kakashi was the serious genius from a disgraced clan, and Obito was the buffoon from an elite clan, the Uchiha with the advanced bloodline sharingan capability. The bitterness that Kakashi felt after his father's death was probably exacerbated by being paired with someone from such a respected clan as the Uchiha.

Envious of Obito's bloodline, and disgusted with Obito's lack of gravity, Kakashi appears to have gone out of his way to insult the Uchiha at every opportunity – an exhibition of transference of anger towards his father to his rival. Sakumo's suicide was ultimately a selfish act, leaving behind a young son to fend for himself. Survivors often feel guilt that they should have done something to prevent the suicide, anger at the person for leaving them, or anger at others for causing the suicide.

**Introjection**

In contrast to Kakashi's belief, Obito cared for his teammates above all else. His words finally awakened Kakashi to the impossible decision his father had to make on the spur of the moment: save his comrades from certain death, or complete the mission, failure of which could possibly lead to even more deaths.

In the end, the two reconciled as friends. But whether Obito hated Kakashi or cared about him was not a conscious consideration when Obito pushed Kakashi out of the way of the falling rocks. Yet Kakashi grants Obito the adulated status of "best friend" despite their not having been friends in the conventional sense. Kakashi's survivor's guilt, heightened by Obito's sacrifice, and by the fact that he had treated Obito shamefully, results in denial of their true adversarial relationship.

These circumstances also gave rise to introjection, another defensive coping mechanism. Introjection occurs when an individual deals with emotional stressors, such as guilt, by internalizing the values or characteristics of another person; usually someone who is significant to the individual in some way. Whether conscious or subconscious, over the years, Kakashi has gradually assumed facets of Obito's personality in order to keep him alive: he's often late; he makes up pathetic excuses; and he exhibits inappropriate levity.

**Controlling Pattern**

At first glance, Kakashi exhibits a diametric personality. On one hand, he seems lazy and nonchalant, not caring how others perceive him. On the other hand, he is arrogant and serious, a respected leader. But all these characteristics are actually expressions of an innate need for control.

The uncontrollable events in his life could have prompted the young shinobi to be obsessed with control. Prior to Obito's death, Kakashi already exhibited control behavior: He was competitive and bullied Obito; He was stubborn and arrogant, as demonstrated by his insistence on using his chidori against Yondaime's advice.

Kakashi as an adult, not only controls his emotions, but also how people perceive him. The mask creates an aura of mystery and privacy. The scandalous books read in public creates an image of a perverted buffoon, contrary to his original character and more like his deceased friend's personality. Yet despite often being called an idiot, in serious occasions, he rises to the forefront as a respected leader in control of the present situation as other jounins look to him for leadership and advice.

For Kakashi to lose control, especially of his temper, is a rare event. A prime example of how loss of control affects him can be seen in his encounters with Kabuto where Kabuto is in charge of the situation. In their first encounter, Kakashi resorts to his usual arrogance and sarcasm to assume charge, but Kabuto is unfazed. After Sandaime's death, Kabuto taunts Kakashi whose hand then uncharacteristically shakes in fury at his own inability to do anything.

-…-…-

Sakumo's suicide and Obito's sacrifice were the primary events that molded Kakashi's adult persona: An anti-social, private man, who would rather have people think he's a lazy idiot like his purported best friend, rather than reveal his true nature. Whether the subject himself knows his own true nature is questionable; the subject has a distorted self-perception. In his self-examinations, Kakashi finds himself contemptible, despite truly being one of the great heroes of Konoha.

-…-…-

_Author's Notes: I did not change the original article since even though some of the inferences were wrong, I think they were interesting._

_Psychological terminology and definitions, and information on seppuku were taken from Wickipedia. _

_More on Sakumo in my "Excerpts from Kakashi's Diary" stories._

_Written in the hopes that people will write In-Character Kakashi stories where he doesn't get drunk and jump Iruka's, Anko's or X's bones!_


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